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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. tear — from crying
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — for dancing
  14. current — electric
  15. club — a group
  16. branch — a division
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. degree — from a university
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tear — to rip
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. club — for golf
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com